Tiger Woods speaks during a press conference after playing in a pro-am ahead of his defence of the Australian Masters, to be played at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne on November 10, 2010 (William West/Getty Images).

So is this a sign of deep change in Wood’s psyche or public relations department?

Reading Tiger Woods’ essay in Newsweek, he sounds pretty contrite. But there is a paragraph in the article that gives pause and makes you question if he really understands his role in this self-created mess that led to a divorce with Elin Nordegren making him a single father.

“Golf is a self-centered game, in ways good and bad. So much depends on one’s own abilities. But for me, that self-reliance made me think I could tackle the world by myself. It made me think that if I was successful in golf, then I was invincible.”

That feels like a slight cop-out to me. Almost every athlete that experiences success at the highest levels (Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Shaquille O’Neal) has felt a sense of invincibility whether it’s a team or individual sport.

Golf may have been his vehicle for destruction, but Tiger Woods was the driver. And for reasons still unclear, he drove his family into a mack truck of mistresses.

You could insert executive, actor or McDonald’s manager in place of golf. What’s in a man or woman’s heart to do, he or she will eventually do when presented with temptation or opportunity.

I wonder if Tiger Woods has really gotten to the root of his choices. Judging from his essay, he recognizes what provided aid to his vices, but not what caused him to made detrimental choices against his family over and over and over again.

Next week marks the one year anniversary of the Thanksgiving accident that started the downfall of Tiger Woods. Maybe he wanted to get a jump out on the potential stories and give his own take first before the world.

He has right to do that, maybe even an obligation. Wouldn’t you want to have some influence over the world’s perception of you?

Golf was just one layer that contributed to Woods’ choices and a thin one at that. Here’s hoping he finds the root.